An oil pipe that carried thousands of pounds of crude oil ruptured in East Los Angeles, prompting a response from multiple crews and a Sigalert early Friday morning, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
Firefighters responded to East Cesar Chavez and North Eastern avenues shortly after 3 a.m. after reports that a construction crew struck a pipeline that carried 4,600 pounds of crude oil.
The construction crew had been drilling a 6-inch line when they struck the 16-inch pipeline, the fire department said. The pipeline has since been shut off, according to the fire department.
The pipe carries the crude oil from Dodger Stadium to the Port of Los Angeles.
According to LA County Fire Captain Aaron Katon, the crude oil was spilling at a rate of about five gallons per second when their crews first arrived.
It is not clear how long the surrounding area will remain closed, but Katon estimated it would be an hourslong closure and the cleanup would take days.
According to Katon, the fire department is leading the response coordination to ensure that the environment is healthy and residents are protected.
Hazardous materials crews were also on scene in an effort to prevent the oil from going into the storm drain. However, the fire department said the flow of the oil was too strong and some of it made it into the storm drain.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife was alerted and also arrived at the scene.
